Okay, so this chapter might seem a bit dry to some, but I thought it would be interesting to see Hiroki actually teach a class instead of just hurl things at his students.
Just so you know everything he says is basically plagiarized from about four different websites on Japanese literature, though I changed some of the wording to try and get a more conversational flow. And yes, I am embarrassed to admit one of these sources is Wiki.
I have added a sort of footnote style of in an attempt to make the whole a bit more legal, though I know this might seem a bit weird in a piece of fan fiction. I hope it does not disrupt the reading too much (it's the academic in me I'm afraid).
The sites are included at the end of the chapter in case you feel like researching gay Japanese literature at some point down the road. I know I have found my next research deviation for the upcoming weeks, after writing this anyway, fascinating. My guess is after this, the literature professor may become increasingly more literary in my fanifics, though I will try not to wax too didactic.
Hope you enjoy it!
Chapter Eleven: The Beautiful Way
Fortunately for Hiroki, the afternoon class he taught was a course on the subject of Japanese novels. It was the only upper level course he has been given this semester and he always looked forward to it as a reprieve from the drudgery of the introductory literature courses and the idiocy of their students he was primarily burdened with.
He was relieved that this was the class his mother would observe, as here he was rarely compelled to throw things. It was a relatively small group of students that attended this course. Not many individuals had the stomach for an encore with Demon Kamijou after Intro, and so he was satisfied that those enrolled in the class were the wheat, not the chaff, successfully winnowed and sufficiently dedicated to literature to merit the sharing of his passions with.
Unfortunately Hiroki and his mother arrived at the classroom just at the appointed time for his lecture to start, so her appearance caused a bit of a stir. All of Hiroki's students were there already: one did not play with punctuality when it came to a Kamijou course. Nervously he watched his mother shuffle to the rear of the classroom, taking a seat in the back row. A quiet murmur spread throughout the students as the visitor settled into her spot.
Who was this woman? The resemblance between she and the Demon was uncanny, yet her embarrassed smile was so sweet, her eyes so warm. Some wondered if she might not be his mother but this seemed impossible, as the most commonly held belief was that the Professor had been born from the unholy congress of two drunken oni* and was eventually spat out of hell and into the halls of the University because his personality was too troublesome, even for all the considerable powers of darkness.
Hiroki stepped up behind the lecturer's podium, set his book bag down and cleared his throat. The whispering evaporated and the lecture hall was almost immediately silent.
Over the last several class periods, Professor Kamijou had been discussing Genji Monogatari. It was an incredibly complex text to teach. The piece was written in the 11th century by Lady Murasaki Shikibu, and provided an account of court life in the city of Heian. The book was considered to be an undisputed monument in literature and, in the modern sense of the term, one of the world's first novels: Hiroki loved it. (4)
He started his lecture with a brief recap of what the class had previously covered.
"So we know that the Tale of Genji follows the life of a son of a Japanese emperor, known to us as Hikaru Genji, or Shining Genji. If you will remember, for political reasons, Genji is relegated to commoner status, by being given the surname Minamoto, and begins a career as an imperial officer. (1)
Now the majority of the tale concentrates on Genji's romantic life and offers us wonderful insight into the customs of the aristocratic society of the time." (4)
Hiroki looked up and was pleased for once, to see that everyone so far seemed to be following him.
"Last class we were looking at some of the themes of the work and one of you, reasonably, because it is so blatantly obvious," Professor Kamijou said in his typically derisive tone, "mentioned the theme of forbidden love."
Hiroki paused. He looked down and his brow furrowed. The students simultaneously stiffened in their seats anticipating some form of outburst. So, they were surprised and perplexed then when their professor just stood there quietly.
Hiroki had just had the most outrageous idea.
The Demon took a deep breath. Despite the churning in his stomach, he decided to take the chance, his father be damned.
"The Tale of Genji as it was written provides us with an uncommonly rich resource for understanding what sexuality might have meant to the Heian courtiers within their polygamous society. Considering this, we now are all familiar with the heterosexual forbidden love of Genji, but there is another forbidden love alluded to in the text I would like for you to consider." (2)
If he did not have the students' undivided attention before, The Demon did now.
"Throughout Murasaki's writing, while there are no obvious depictions of same sex love, male friendships are highly eroticized. Take for instance, the section where our hero, Genji, ends up spending the night with the younger brother of a woman who spurned him." (2)
Hiroki pulled a dog-eared book out of his bag and stepped out in front of the podium as he opened it to a marked spot. "In this passage the text says, Well, at least you must not abandon me. Genji pulled the boy down besides him. The boy was delighted, such were Genji's youthful charms. Genjji for his part, or so one is informed, found the boy more attractive than his chilly sister."(3)
The professor closed the book and let the hand that held it drop to his side.
"Now, while this instance is fleeting. The last ten chapters of Murasaki's book, shifts the action away from the courts and into to the wild mountain area of Uji, where it follows the adventures of Genji's son, Kaoru. In the character of Karou, the author provides us with a complex exploration of an unconsumated same sex relationship." (2)
The class was listening to The Demon, entranced, though Hiroki did not notice it. He was really only speaking to one person in the audience.
"Kaoru, as he is written, is introspective. He does not respond erotically to women, and in general goes against all the conventions of the amorous Heian male courtiers. Instead, he finds stability and fulfillment as the spiritual student of the Eighth Prince, whom he comes to love deeply. But three years later, the Prince dies and leaves Kaoru bereft. (2)
The final chapters of the Tale of Genji record Kaoru's attempt to ease his loss by forming relationships, none of them sexual, with the Prince's three daughters. But none of these can serve Kaoru successfully as a replacement for their father, and at the tale's end, Kaoru is still ensnared in his desire to recapture his love for the Eighth Prince."(2)
Hiroki continued, "Within this depiction, Murasaki creates a powerful portrait of a man unable to achieve Buddhist enlightenment because of his bonds to another man." (2)
A few of the female students in Professor Kamijou's class, voracious readers of BL no doubt, sighed unconsciously.
"You might find it of interest to know that this storyline was generated during a time when writing about same sex male relationships and such relationships themselves, were not only, not forbidden, but also not uncommon.
With the emergence after the twelfth century of temple culture informed by courtly tradition, literary activity shifted into the hands of the Buddhist clergy. Members of the male Buddhist clergy generally took vows to avoid sexual contact with women, but sexual and romantic relationships with boy acolytes, chigo, flourished in the temples and was often described as a natural 'outlet' for the men's emotional and sexual needs.(2)
With this, written depictions of male-male love changed accordingly and these relationships generated numerous love poems between the tenth to the thirteenth centuries and in the fourteenth and fifteenth century there was a genre of popular prose called acolyte tales, chigo montogatari."(2)
"Within the formation of the Samurai culture during these periods also, the ideas of same sex male love again evolved. For example, there was nanshoku, the love of the samurai, or bi-do, the beautiful way or even wakashudo, the way of the youth."(3)
Some of the students shifted uncomfortably in their seats. It was not the topic their mad professor was discussing that caused them unease, but it was the man himself. His voice, usually growling with his passion for literature and frustration with his students' stupidity held another tone in it today. It was greatly disquieting to realize that there was perhaps a note of tenderness in the man's verbal expressions: a notion completely at odds with any previous experience of The Demon.
"Male love relationships between older samurai and samurai youths wakashu in which an age difference and a sexual and emotional hierarchy existed between lover and beloved became a prominent feature of samurai society, especially among the elite."(3)
The professor looked back up to where his mother was sitting. From the distance between them, he could not read her face. As Hiroki began this next part of his confession, he thought of his lover, the difference in their age, their backgrounds, and their professional status.
"In fact, this tradition was honored, guarded even. Consider the writings of Ijiri Chusuke, who in 1482, penned," Hiroki did not need a book to read the next part. It was something he had memorized when he was still a student in middle school, "In the world of the nobles and the warriors, lovers would swear eternal love relying on no more than their mutual good will. Whether their partners were noble or common, rich or poor, was exactly of no importance…In all these cases they were greatly moved by the spirit of the (beautiful) way. This way must be truly respected, and it must never be permitted to disappear. (3)
Hiroki sighed, "Yet, it did disappear which is why today, we will to return to where we started, and so add both Genji and Karou to the novel's exploration of the theme of forbidden love."
Hiroki stopped. This was as eloquent an admission as he could make.
His knees felt weak, so he attempted to look casual as he leaned back against the podium. He ran his fingers nervously through his auburn mop.
"Ummm, any questions?"
Looking at the open mouths of his silent students, Hiroki was relieved to feel himself growing irritated. This sensation was so much more comfortable than the state he'd been occupying just moments ago. When no one offered any comments or questions, he shook his head: he was surrounded by idiots.
"Alright," he conceded, enough for today, "class dismissed."
The Demon's pupils stared at each other incredulously. They were being let out early? Before whatever spirit had possessed their professor was exorcised and the true Demon returned, the students fled.
"But you better have taken good notes, because this may show up on your next test!" Hiroki shouted after them.
As they rushed out, Professor Kamijou thought he heard a few students wondering if the Demon might not be better suited to teaching Gender Studies rather than Literature.
In the midst of this exodus, Hiroki's mother made her way carefully back down towards her son. Several students paused in their flight (attributing Professor Kamijou's transformation to her presence) to thank her for attending and said with great conviction that they hoped she would soon return.
Now the classroom empty, Hiroki stood nervously in front of his mother. Her brow was furrowed in a familiar way and she did not look very pleased.
"Hiroki, was that your intended lecture for the day?" The lady Kamijou asked.
"No, well, not exactly." Hiroki was having trouble meeting her stern eyes.
"Am I to take it that you modified your topic, perhaps, to address me?"
Under his mother's fierce scrutiny the professorial spawn of hell, was in an instant transformed: Hiroki suddenly felt ten instead of twenty-nine.
"Yes, Mother, that is correct."
"Oh Hiroki-kun," his mother said, her voice laced with disappointment, "I know that he is your senior professor, but you should not have to defend him."
"What?" Hiroki gasped, astonished.
"Honestly, I do not think it appropriate that you spent your student's time trying to justify that man's deplorable behaviors. Beautiful way of the samurai indeed, misconduct with a minor more like. Hrrrumph."
The lady Kamijou straightened her shoulders and raised her head in proud indignation. She turned and glided towards the door. "I will wait for you out in the hall."
The Tale of Genji that he had still been holding slipped unnoticed from the Professor's hand to the floor,but it could have just as easily been his heart. Hiroki brought his other hand to his forehead massaging his suddenly spasming brow. He shook his head trying to dislodge the feeling of déjà vu: he was surrounded by idiots.
*Oni - the classic Japanese demon, an ogre-like creature which often has horns.
I know these look crazy, but the site was doing wierd things with the links. Hopefully this gives you enough info. Feel free to e-mail me if you seriously want the links.
1. HTTP: / /W W W. EN. WICKIPEDIA. ORG / WIKI/T HE_TALE_OF_GENJI
2. HTTP: / /W W W. GLTBQ. COM/LITERATURE/JAPAN_LIT,
3. HTTP: / / W W W. / GAY-HISTORY/ GAY- CUSTOM/ JAPAN-SAMURAI-MALE-LOVE/
4. HTTP: / / W W W. / TALE OF GENJI. ORG / SUMMARY/ HTML
Cheers,
Cerberus Revised